Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, founded in 1816, is the oldest African American church in the District of Columbia. During the Civil War it served as a stop on the Underground Railroad. Until 1862, Mt. Zion provided educational instruction for Georgetown's black community.

The Mount Zion United Methodist Community House is located in a restored early 19th-century simple brick cottage situated behind the church. The center contains old photographs, manuscripts, church records, and artifacts from earlier days. This house is one of the few remaining landmarks in this historic neighborhood where the history of Georgetown's blacks, once 50 percent of the area's population, is visible.